Michaela Watts Photo

NORWICH – Athletes of the Vipers Special Olympics team of Norwich donated $325.65 in efforts to help support Trooper Neil T. Case in his upcoming trip to Austria for the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg. The Athletes of the Vipers Special Olympics team raised the donated money through raffles sales, bottles drives and other events to support our local law enforcement in the upcoming event.

Present with the trooper and the norwich team, Cassandra Rucker, director of development of Special Olympics New York gave further information about this years winters games. The Special Olympics World Winter Games, being held in Austria, will get underway and 16-athletes from Special Olympics New York will be there representing the USA. More than 3,000 athletes from 108 nations will travel to Graz, Schladming and Ramsau and compete across nine sports.

Special Olympics New York will be represented in three sports: Floor Hockey, Men’s Cross Country Skiing, Women’s Snowshoe. Over 15,000 people will participate in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2017. In addition to the 3,000 athletes expected from 108 countries, there will be 5,000 family members, 1,100 coaches, 1,000 media representatives, 3,000 volunteers and 1,200 honored guests expected.